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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · bear · fall · last · jam · branch · press · scale

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. branch — a division
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — size or range
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. last — to go on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — the animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. press — newspapers
  19. scale — in music
  20. press — to push
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. jam — to spread on bread

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com